1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to auction systems over a computer network and more specifically to assisting users to more efficiently list and re-list items for auction over a computer network, such as the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1A shows a system setting in which on-line auction systems currently operate. A computer network 10, such as the Internet, connects the computer systems of sellers and bidders 12–14 to one or more auction servers 16–18. The auction servers 16–18 host an auction site, which receives items for sale, lists them for access by the computer systems of the sellers and bidders 12–14, and conducts an auction to determine the winning bidder.
FIG. 1B shows a representative computer system such as those depicted in FIG. 1A. The various components, such as the central processor 23, the memory subsystem 24, the disk interface 25, the I/O subsystem 26 and the communications interface 27, of the computer system are interconnected via system bus 22. The central processor 23 executes programs that are stored in memory subsystem 24. The disk interface 25 is instrumental in transferring information between permanent storage (such as a disk) and the memory subsystem 24. The communications interface 27 is instrumental in transferring data between a network (such as the public switched telephone network and/or a local network) and the memory subsystem 24 via the system bus 22. The I/O subsystem 26 is instrumental in transferring data from a keyboard or pointer device (such as a mouse) to the central processor 23 or the memory subsystem 24 via the system bus and in transferring data from the memory subsystem 24 or central processor 23 to a display device.
Returning to FIG. 1A, sellers list items for sale on the auction system 16–18 of FIG. 1A and set auction parameters such as the starting time and date of the auction, the duration of the auction, the starting bid and bid increments. Buyers bid on items during an open auction for the item and are notified whether or not their bid is the highest bid. At the end of the auction the winning bidder, if any, is notified by email via the computer network and the seller and buyer then contact each other directly to complete the transaction. The seller must deliver the item to the buyer and the buyer must pay for the item in accordance with the terms of the auction.
FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the listing process of current on-line auction systems. Given the setting shown in FIG. 1A, a seller lists an item for sale on the auction site, in step 30, by first registering seller information at the site including a user id and password. Next, in step 32, the seller accesses an item listing form from the auction site and provides, in step 34, item information and auction parameter information. Item information that the seller provides to the form includes a title and a standalone description of the item; the auction parameter information includes the duration of the auction and the minimum bid, and forms of acceptable payment if a sale occurs. A standalone description of the item means that the description does not have any links to any other item currently listed by the seller. In step 36, the seller obtains an item verification document from the auction site. This document contains a summary of the information provided by the seller in the listing form along with an item id and an item key. For one auction site, the item id is a nine digit number and the item key is a unique sequence of 35 characters. After checking the item verification document, the seller then submits a listing confirmation, in step 38. This action causes the auction site to list the item, in step 40, using the assigned item number and item key and then to charge the seller's account, in step 42, determined from the user id, a listing fee for the item. The listing fee is typically in the range of about $0.25 to $2.00 per item. Thus, it is apparent that listing an item for sale on the auction site is a manual process, involving several, time-consuming interactive steps with the auction site.
If a listed item does not sell during the auction period, the seller has the choice of re-listing the item for sale. The seller is charged a listing fee to re-list the item, however, a credit is applied against this fee if the item is re-listed using the item number and unique key that were used when the item was first listed and the item is sold after being re-listed.
FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of the re-listing process of current on-line auction systems. In step 50, the seller accesses a previously listed item at the auction site. This causes the auction site to send a re-listing form with filled-in information to the seller, in step 52, where the filled-in information is obtained from the information provided when the item was originally listed. In step 54, the seller makes changes to the item description and possibly to the auction parameters. For example, the seller may change the minimum bid or bid increments and improve the description of the item. Upon submitting the listing form back to the auction site, the seller obtains an item verification document, in step 56, from the auction site. The item verification document now contains the item description and auction parameters along with the original item number, the original key, a new item number and new key for re-listing the item, the user id, and password. Submitting the listing confirmation to the auction site, in step 58, causes the site to list the item, in step 60, and charge the listing fee to the seller's account, in step 62. If the re-listed item is sold, as determined in step 64, then the auction site issues a listing fee credit to the seller's account in step 66.
While the process described above is simple and convenient for sellers who list a few items for sale, there are serious deficiencies for sellers who wish to list hundreds or even thousands of items. One deficiency is the time it takes to manually list an item, say a few minutes. To list a thousand items would take about 16 hours. This is too great an expenditure of time to be practicable for the seller. Another aspect of this deficiency is that it is extremely difficult to synchronize the advertising of the items for sale in a trade publication or other advertising medium with their listing on the auction site because the time to list the items on the site may stretch over such a long time period as to make unpredictable the date and time any item is up for sale.
Another deficiency concerns the re-listing of items that did not sell. Not only is there is an extraordinary expenditure of time required to re-list the many items but the seller must use the same item number and key or lose the re-listing fee credit, which for thousands of items can amount to thousands of dollars.
Yet another deficiency is that, when the seller has multiple items listed for sale, the standalone description prohibits links to other items that the seller has listed. This prevents the seller from notifying a potential buyer of the other items for sale, when the buyer finds one of the seller's items.
Therefore, there is a need for an auction assistance system that allows a seller to list and re-list items without spending inordinate amounts of time doing so and without losing credit for re-listed items. Furthermore there is a need for an auction assistance system that allows the seller to inform the buyer of other items the seller has listed.